Lots of Fun

We celebrated Clara's birthday survivor style with a plethora (you don't get to use that word often) of people. Here's a few pics. It was a night full of fun and COMPETITION!!

However, I must confess that almost a week later and I'm still in recovery mode.

God Provides

Many entries of this blog this past year have been devoted to saving money. While I do not aspire to become a blog dedicated to frugality, it is the reality of our life right now. The intent of this blog is to share our lives with family and friends. We really do have a rich life that includes a multitude of close friendships (Oh, the stories we could tell). With the busyness of life it is difficult to stay in touch, thus this blog. And, I really like to get things on paper...it helps me process.

Today's blog post is dedicated to my incredibly responsible, amazing and beautiful daughter Hannah. She and I have been on a journey the last two years. When she began sixth grade, we decided we wanted to homeschool her. Our decision to homeschool was born out of a desire to relationally connect with her. It has been fun to be a part of her world and see her developing into a godly young woman. I hope she looks back on this season with fondness!!!

One lesson Hannah has learned recently I wanted to share....God provides!! It is a lesson I need to remind myself. It seems that since we started trying to be careful with our money all powers of Hades have conspired against us (I will refrain from going into all of that right now). But I digress....

About six months ago we explained to Hannah that she would need to earn money to pay for any youth trips she wanted to take starting this summer. This girl loves her youth trips. She accepted this challenge quietly and courageously. After all for a thirteen-year old with little earning potential paying for anything over $10 seems a bit daunting.

She babysat here and there, but one day recently she expressed her concern that her babysitting opportunities were limited and she wondered how she would EVER save enough money. My heart went out to her. She was not complaining. She was being realistic and honest.

Then, literally out of the blue our neighbor approached Hannah and asked her to tutor her preschool son to help him get ready for Kindergarten. Of course Hannah jumped on this because it was a weekly job. (I admit I was a little nervous). But, the truth is she was prepared to do this job. She is a great teacher to her little brother. She also has volunteered in the preschool class where I work for a year.

But, let me say that Hannah has blown my expectations OUT OF THE WATER. She tutors three times a week for thirty minutes. She communicates with the mother via email. She plans the lessons. Recently I eavesdropped and she was teaching him all about a penny. Here is what I heard her student say in response to questions asked of him. "A penny equals one cent." "Abraham Lincoln is on the front of the penny." "He was the sixteenth president." "He lived in a cabin log (yes I typed that right...how cute)".

As of yesterday Hannah has earned (and truthfully she has worked hard) enough money to pay for her camp this summer ($250). How does a 13 year old do that? God provided her an opportunity. She worked hard and was faithful with that which was entrusted to her.

As she looks back on her homeschool experience, I hope she remembers the year when she was given an impossible task. I hope she remembers that God provides!!! I hope she remembers that with God nothing is impossible. I hope she remembers that hard work and diligence pay off.

Turtle Trauma

We have a new pet....Tina the Turtle. Our daughter Clara seems to attract stray animals. She wants to be a vet when she grows up. Tina the Turtle was found by Clara at the baseball field.

While I'm not a big fan of turtles, I must admit that Tina is growing on me. She's little and has a cool orange stripe down the sides of her neck. And, she runs really fast. Tina has been living in a picture box while we figure out what type of habitat she needs to survive (I tried to say she would be happier outside, but no one is buying that!!!).

Yesterday when Clara came home from school, she came running into the room frantic that her turtle box was tipped over and Tina was missing. (Did I mention we have a cat?) So a search and rescue mission was mounted. We looked for Tiny Tina over an hour in Clara's room. It seemed a turtle was roaming freely through my house much to my dismay.

We were about to head into another part of the house when I moved a small shag rug that was folded in the floor of Clara's room. When I picked it up, I was excited to see Tiny Tina. But then upon further inspection I noticed what seemed to be a strangely twisted turtle neck and a very still Tina. So, I explained to Clara that the turtle seemed to be dead and she needed to leave the room. The death of the turtle sent my sweet tender-hearted Clara into an emotional crisis. It really tore my heart apart to see her so sad.

I comforted her and asked if she wanted to see Tina (why do we name these animals) or if she just wanted me to put him in a box and wait for dad to come home. She opted out of seeing twisted-neck tiny Tina. Off I went with a heavy heart to pick up a dead turtle. You must know that I have never in my life picked up a turtle.

Imagine my dismay when I went into the room to see tiny Tina trucking around the room. Alas the seemingly broken-necked turtle was alive and kicking. There was much rejoicing!!!

Car Conversation

Last night we were on our way home from a soccer game and here was the conversation.

Clara- "Mom, when are you going to get me the Starbucks you owe me? (a reward for some well done venture)

Noah "Yeah, I want a Starbucks blended Cherry Lemonade" (FYI--no such drink exists)

Clara - "You can't have Starbucks....you are too young"

Noah "Mom, I want Starbucks"

Clara - "YOU CAN'T HAVE STARBUCKS...YOU ARE TOO YOUNG!!!"

Elijah (the 4yr old) - HEY, I WANT STARBUCKS. I WANT STARBUCKS. I WANT TO BUY ME SOME BOOKS. I WANT SOME BOOKS FROM STARBUCKS"

Life is Fragile!!

My previous post was about our daughter Clara's birthday. Today's post is more difficult to write, but I really want to do so. This past Thursday, April 30th, my grandmother, "Mama Clara" breathed her last breath here on earth. As you can guess our sweet Clara was named after her great-grandmother.

Our family went to visit Mama Clara the Friday before her death. I wish I could capture for you the way her dear face lit up when our family walked into the room. It was one of those priceless moments. She was a godly woman who loved to spend time with Jesus, she had a gift for creating beauty, and she loved her family fiercely. She lived for 88 years.

As I type this, I'm looking at a piece of embroidery in my kitchen that says "Life is Fragile, Handle it with Prayer". One summer when I was younger I went to visit my grandparents and I remember my grandmother creating that piece. When she moved from her home into an apartment a few years ago and was getting rid of some of her things, it was the one thing I requested. Why? Because it is a sentiment that I believe in strongly.

One of the greatest compliments I received at the funeral on Saturday was how much I favor Clara. You see I have her red hair. I'm really the only member of the family that has it (well my dad has her red hair...but he's mostly bald, so that doesn't really count and he's a guy). My desire is that in addition to favoring her looks, I would also favor her in character. She was a strong woman. She was committed to her family. She was diligent with her hands. She endured hardship with grace. She loved Jesus with her whole heart.

I'm thankful that she taught me at a young age that "Life is Fragile, we must handle it with Prayer". I'm thankful that she taught me how to love my family. I'm thankful that she taught me how to cook (I only wish I knew how to make her homemade fried pies). I'm thankful she taught me how to enjoy the moment.

Happy Birthday Clara!!

Yesterday we celebrated sweet Clara's birthday. (This is the only picture I have available of her right now...technical difficulties still abound around here). It amazes me how time marches on faster and faster and faster. She is growing up too quickly. I miss my little girl, but am enjoying the young woman that is emerging.

C - Creative
L - Lively
A - Always Right (in her mind anyway)
R - Relational
A - Athletic

Thorn in my flesh!!

So, I may have my school planned out for the next year, but here is a story that is a true reflection of me. It is the same song, 20 millionth verse in my life. For those of you who are ultra organized you might not want to read this....really you won't get it. But for others of you who suffer from the same disease I do, you might appreciate it!!

Yesterday morning I ran (well I didn't actually run, I drove my car) to Office Depot to purchase some binders that were on sale. My neighbor told me about the deal and said I probably wanted to buy them before the weekend. So, I headed out to the Depot at the crack of dawn to score a deal on binders.

Boy was it a deal. Binders were $2 and were buy 2, get 1 free. And, there were some nice ones that I needed for school. Our family was headed out of town so I had planned my trip to the minute and had just enough time to purchase binders and get home to leave town.

Of course Murphy's Law hit. I was in line to pay for the binders when I realized that I didn't have my teller card. Why? Because I had put it in my backpack when I served on jury duty earlier in the week. So, I'm standing there trying to figure out what to do. David was at the school with Clara getting her picture taken. I really didn't have time to drive home (and I hated to lose my binders)

Inspiration hit like a bolt of lightning. So, I called my neighbor who hooked me up on the deal because I knew she was driving to work. When I asked her where she was, she was right by the Depot and she sweetly agreed to come and pay for my purchase. It really was perfect timing....take that Murphy.

Now, please know I try not to live like this regularly. I try to behave responsibly. I try to be a grown-up. But there are days when it just doesn't come together. So, when my daughter brings home progress reports that say she needs to remember her papers, that she needs to be more responsible....I just smile.

She is so like me!!!

Discovery

Yesterday we drove as a family in the car to Jackson, MS to visit my grandmother in Hospice. It was a long day in the car. So, we packed some markers. I had recently bought some binders that have been recycled and basically look like grocery bags. The project was for the kids to decorate their binders which will be used as school binders next year. (Boy am I ahead of the game!! However, don't be too impressed. I'll explain why in another post)

To say that our oldest son likes to draw would be a gross understatement. The girls drew on their binders for about 15 minutes and then promptly fell asleep (that's my girls). Noah, meanwhile kept drawing and drawing and drawing.

After about two hours of drawing, He loudly proclaimed..."It's smells like markers....I LIKE THE SMELL OF MARKERS (said like I would say I like the smell of chocolate.) I suppose inhaling Sharpies for two hours might not have been the best choice, but amazingly he was quiet for a while.

Staycation

This year we have committed as a family to carefully watch our pennies. Fortunately thanks to www.moneysavingmom.com and friends who are on the same quest for deals, I have been able to score some excellent purchases at minimal cost. Most recently I found a deal on shampoo and let's just say I purchased over 30 bottles of shampoo and conditioner for around $7.00. And, I actually have a $6 register reward in my pocket that will spend like cash. So, I suppose I technically only spent $1.

That's all fine and good. But, I'm realizing that toiletries are pocket change compared to some of our other expenditures. So, here comes the hard reality. Our annual family vacation is up for discussion. Sigh!! Serious Sigh!!

For those of you who know me I am a vacation girl. I love vacation. I live for vacation. Researching for a vacation is one of my favorite activities. Really!! I cannot convey the joy I feel when I plan a vacation and when the plan comes together for relaxating family fun. We have so many incredible vacation memories.

So, when my hubby suggested that we should cut our vacation from our budget this year I confess I wanted to scratch his eyes out. Keeping it real people!!! David tried to keep it positive and say we can take a vacation at home. To me that ranks right up there with going to the dentist.

After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I'm finally on board....well mostly. Little did I know when we made these decisions that there is actually a term for this. It's called a "Staycation". So I'm planning a family "staycation". Actually we are planning two staycations one in May and one in July. Both weeks we have close family friends coming to vacation with us.

Yippee!!

Technical Difficulties

This past month or so our family has been plagued with technical difficulties. Seriously!! Our home computer crashed. It is back up, but still not really usable yet. David's laptop crashed not once, but twice and of course the last time was in the middle of completing the taxes on April 14th. This has been going on for a while. It is about to drive me to the brink of insanity. Why? Because I feel so out of touch and I know my mother is about to bust a gut because I haven't been posting pictures on this blog. Thank goodness she was here a few weeks ago to see the kids.

This whole experience is teaching me to relax. Sometimes frustrating things happen. Sometimes things don't go my way and pitching a fit doesn't do any good. (If I had a dollar for every time I have used that expression with my youngest daughter...I could buy a new computer!!). Sometimes we have to wait. Oh, that is a hard one for me to accept.

Yesterday while sitting in the jury pool room ALL DAY long I was reading Hannah's history book. As an aside...her history textbooks are great...it's a series called "A History of US, by Joy Hakim" that I highly recommend.

I was reading about Franklin D. Roosevelt, a promising, wealthy, talented, athletic, father of 5, who had political ambitions. One night he went to bed and the next morning he woke up unable to walk. Polio had invaded his home. It amazes me that he did not just curl up and give up on his dreams. No, he pressed on and became president. Now that's fortitude in the face of difficulty.

My technical difficulties are merely pesky flies. But as sure as I am breathing, at some point in my life and in all our lives true difficulties will come. What will our response be?

Lesson Learned

Yesterday I was so pleased to see that my children took it upon themselves to make our bed. After all it was Saturday and I often forego making the bed because well it's Saturday. It was Heroes day on the Disney channel and my children asked if they could watch TV in our bedroom. "Sure", I said eager for a little peace and quiet.

When I checked on them, they were happily watching TV in my bedroom and coloring on my bed. I praised them and thanked them for making my bed. Really, it was one of those moments that warmed my soul. It made me feel so good to know that I had raised such thoughtful children who were willing to serve their parents.

Then, last night I went to bed!!

Let's just say my legs seemed to have suddenly grown longer as I tried to jam them into the bed. As I began to investigate I realized that my sweet, angelic children had gone and accomplished the classic camp prank. They short-sheeted our bed. They really did a good job!!! They fooled me 100%!!!

The lesson that I learned is to be suspicious of any unusual acts of kindness on the part of my children (I know it is jaded of me, but realistic). An investigation ensued. For those of you who know our family, I will give you one guess as to who the Culprit was...it's a she and her name begins with "C".

Continued Saga

When I went to publish the previous entry about technical difficulties....it came up with an error. Would not, could not publish. After muttering a few choice words under my breath (niceties of course mom), I threw my hands up and walked away from the computer. We have been using a different browser and it was not compatible with our blog. Nor was it compatible with Facebook. I was completely out of touch with my cyberworld.

Techno hubby to the rescue!!! Whew, what would I do without him. Now I can blog. Now I can feed my Facebook addiction. Although I must admit that the new layout is too busy and too much stuff for me. I miss just being able to log on and quickly view the status updates of my friends!!!

All this is revealing something about myself that I do not like!!! I am not adapting to change well. I used to live for change. I used to thrive on change. I used to eat change for breakfast. Goodness, am I becoming old and set in my ways? We must change that!!

Excuses, excuses!!

Okay so I am the most deliquent blogger out there. It seems that all has conspired against me. Really. Let me explain. The storage area for our pictures has changed, making it difficult to import edited pictures. It's probably easy to figure out how to use the updated program, but we have been a little busy around here.

And, we are currently using Clara's camera as a family camera. During the last snow day which was incredibly beautiful we pulled out her camera and realized the battery was dead. Simple problem to solve. Not for us. We could not find the charger for her battery. AAHHH. Yes, her battery charger does have a place it is supposed to be...it's not there.

No big deal we think, we'll take pictures of the amazing nine inch snow with Hannah's camera. Guess what? We couldn't find the download cord for her camera. Double AAAHH!! Yes, the download cord does have a place it is supposed to be...it's not there.

Blogging is a pleasure for me. I love to add the pictures. Because let's face it. This blog exists to provide my mother with pictures of her grandchildren!!! Without pictures I am lost...lost I tell you.

So there is my sob story. These minor inconveniences + the insane busyness of our schedule have come together to create the perfect storm that has shut down communication. I haven't had much to say...since I don't have pictures that go along with it (which reminds me of a story that I'll tell in another post....MAYBE!!)

Description of Hannah's Work Day

Hannah is studying poetry and is writing several different types of poetry over the next few weeks. I liked this one. It is a description of her day at work.

Work

door, lunch away, room assignment
lunch away, room assignment, kids
room assignment, kids, play
kids, play, clean-up
play, clean-up, snack
clean-up, snack, worksheet
snack, worksheet, carpet time
worksheet, carpet time, gym
carpet time, gym, lunch
gym, lunch, nap
lunch, nap, play
nap, play, home

Ham and Wild Rice Soup

Here's a recipe that is a family favorite and a great way to use leftover ham from Christmas or Easter....

Ham and Wild Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wild rice (You can use long grain and wild, but I LOVE the wild rice)
3 cups water (I use 6 cups water with 6 chicken bouillion cubes)
3 cups chicken broth (I do not use chicken broth)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 cups chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup shredded carrots (or thinly sliced)
3 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional)
1 cup half-and-half (I used mostly skim milk w/ a splash of half & half)

DIRECTIONS
In a pot, bring the wild rice and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

In a separate pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender. Blend in the flour until smooth, and gradually stir in the chicken broth. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and mix in the cooked rice, ham, carrots, and almonds. Continue to cook and stir about 5-10 minutes, until heated through and carrots are cooked. Thoroughly blend the half and half into the soup just before serving.

I have also sauteed fresh chopped mushrooms with the onion. And, I have also added corn (which David absolutely loves).

Enjoy!!

Lessons from a Sick Home (Not mentally mind you..well maybe a little)

Sickness...it's a reality that has hit our home in full force over the last couple of weeks. In my mind I strongly despise sickness. After all who really wants to be sick? Who wants to see the people they love sick?

And yet as I ponder this sickness I realize something. It has caused us as a family to SLOW DOWN.

In our culture it is unfortunate, but true, we move through life at warp speed. I'll give you an example...this morning as I was bleary-eyed, drinking my coffee I happened to look out the window to see the high school bus go down the street at 6:09 am. You read that right 6:09 AM. If I was in high school here, you would just have to hook me up with a perpetual caffeine IV.

Anyway, I digress. This sickness has caused us to slow down. All my youngest wants to do when he is sick is snuggle with mommy. While that makes it difficult to accomplish anything, it does make my heart smile.

So, we are enjoying this imposed slow down. We are enjoying playing games as a family. Last night the kids watched a movie upstairs and I sat by myself and watched two TV shows with quiet all around. Quiet in this house is RARE!!! (David did attend the financial peace class as our representative last night!!)

This bout of sickness has caused me to be reminded again of the importance of family time...I have an incredible family and we have fun together!!! My favorite memory of the last week is us all huddled in the living room playing apples to apples. Yes, all six of us played, even the four year old who cannot read. I can still picture him sitting in his daddy's lap, smiling and quite proud when his "green card" was picked.

We're headed into our busy season, but I plan to take the lessons from Sickville and apply them to Busyville. Even though we will be busy, it is imperative that we carve out time to be together as a family!!!

Snow Day

Snow days are rare in this neck of the woods. So, we have to seize the moment. My kids have learned to get out there EARLY because it melts by noon. They had a great day playing. I on the other hand stayed inside and watched TV. (Well I did walk outside long enough to take pictures).

I am a snow snob....I will only get dressed and go outside to play in the snow if there are at least 2-3 inches. However, I must admit that there is NOTHING in me that misses having to shovel snow.

Although I confess that I only shoveled snow once and my friend from Minnesota happened to drop by and see me shoveling snow. After laughing hysterically at my ineptitude, she promptly took the snow shovel and shoveled my driveway in a small fraction of the time it would have taken me.

Happy Birthday!!

We're excited that our little man turned a year older. He was excited to get "dollars" from his Nana. Unfortunately he was laying on the couch sick all day long.

He brings great joy into our lives. We look foward to what the next year will bring.

Blogger Block

It seems like a while since I've posted anything worth reading and that bothers me a bit. The truth is my brain seems to be taking a break.

Maybe it is hibernating for winter...I'm not sure. There are moments of clarity where I have a thought that seems blog worthy. Then, I sit down to blog and there's nothing there and I mean nothing.

Or, maybe it's the entrance of the Wii into our home. It has consumed quite a bit of my time. Last night I laughed so hard I almost peed (how in the world do you spell that?) in my pants on several occasions. Our friends Phil and Amber Wing and Mark Murdoch played carnival games, which by the way are almost as impossible to win as the real carnival games. David, bless his heart was comatose on the couch. He did entertain us with an occasional snore or loud groan. I think he has the flu, but boy did he miss out on the fun.

Or, maybe it's the wonderful time I've been able to spend with friends. Face to face time with people has taken precedence over technology during the month of January. Okay, so that's probably not such a bad thing!!!

Anyway, I'm hopeful that my brain will wake up soon and I will be able to write something worthwhile. So, for my three or four blog readers, please be patient. I'll be back!!!

Future Photographer!!

Recently I downloaded some pictures from Clara's new camera which has been kept in her room. Along with about a hundred videos of her, there were pictures that were a little different. I remember vaguely Elijah mentioning that he took pictures in Clara's room. He's so into pretend play that I didn't pay much attention. These pictures are proof that he WASN'T pretend playing, but actually DID take pictures.

Enjoy Elijah's first photo shoot!!! I really like the first pic.

Where's Waldo? (I mean Noah)

In the two group pictures from Clara's soccer night see if you can find Noah in the pictures. As I pointed out earlier Elijah is right in the middle of the fray. The question is Where's Noah? I'll give you a hint...he has on camo pants and a yellow shirt.

Crazy Soccer Girls!!

 

Sweet Soccer Girls

 

This past Friday we had Clara's soccer team over for a hang out night. This group of girls is really incredible. When I look at them I see glimpses of the women they will become. And yet, I also see them as the little girls they were almost three years ago.

Each of them have unique talents and abilities. They are all great athletes. They all prove each week how dedicated and disciplined they are. We are so pleased that Clara has the opportunity to know each of these young women and are grateful for their friendship.

And let me just say they played the loudest game of mafia known to mankind!!! Oh, and you will notice that our son Elijah is right smack in the middle of all these girls. He is living a charmed life!!!

Free Car!!!

Yesterday we were sitting in the parking lot of Taco Bell (our big splurge for the month of Jan) getting ready to depart. Our six year old son Noah pointed out that we really NEED a new car. The handles are falling apart and there are some interesting quirks to our car. Our philosophy is to drive it until it dies.

Anyway back to the story....

Noah says, "We really need to go online and get us a new car."

Me: "We can't afford a new car."

Noah says, "No, we REALLY need a new car. Seriously mom it's FREE."

Me: "Noah, cars are not free."

Noah: "Seriously Mom...you go online and tell them abour your car. They do interviews and pick out the best car for you. And it's absolutely FREE."

Me: "You can't get a car online for free."

Noah: "Seriously mom you CAN (And people he really is quite serious here). All you have to do is go to www.vehix.com and get a car for free, for absolutely free. Seriously mom that's all you have to do go to www.vehix.com and it's absolutely free"

At this point David and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Seriously...Noah has been watching too much TV!!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

This is a snapshot of my mom. Today is her birthday. She was born on January 3, 1929 making her, yes, you got it, 80 years old today. The rest of the family in Georgia got together with her for a special lunch out. In the picture with her is one of her three great grandchildren. Here's wishing you many, many more, mom!

New Year's Eve Party

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here's a slideshow of our New Year's Eve Party this year. We had a great time and our house was still standing after 50+ people brought in the New Year. Lest you think I often have that many people in my home....this was a first. We enjoyed our time with friends and are looking forward to 2009.

Happy New Year!!!

My Christmas Present

This Christmas a chapter of my life was officially closed. Elijah no longer wears diapers. He is potty trained!!! It is my favorite Christmas present.

Around the Smith house we've had diapers in our home for about 13 years now. I'm ready to be done. And yet as I look at these sweet baby pictures I realize that we also no longer have a baby in the house.

Well I'm off to church (with no diaper bag in tow)!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Reflections

Three events are banging around in my head and causing me to think seriously about life. That is quite a feat considering I've been going through my life at warp speed not really pausing to think about much. I've only been thinking about what to buy, what to cook, what to clean, what to wrap.

First, my friend Jill from college (who am I kidding, she's really like my sister and I thank God continually for her) had to leave her home of six years abruptly. When I spoke with her she was pondering what to pack (suitcases on a plane are limited) and what to ship. And, what to simply leave.

She pointed out when they moved from Las Vegas to Russia six years ago, they sold their household goods in a garage sale for $2,000. As she said "It's just stuff!!!"

The real difficulty, the gut-wrenching cut to the heart part is that they had to leave behind two precious children they've been loving on for over a year. Two children that they thought by now would be adopted as part of their family.

Second my friend Matt's (and Jana) grandparents home burned to the ground recently. Just typing that makes me want to sit down in a heap and cry. I can only imagine how that must have felt to watch your home crumble before your eyes. Granted I don't know them and have never met them, but I know their grandson and I know his character. Therefore, I know even though they are grieving the loss of their home and their possessions, their eyes are fixed on Jesus.

And finally, yesterday morning we found out that some friends from church came home Thursday, opened the door to their home and realized their house was on fire. Thankfully, they were able to put out the fire, but there is considerable smoke damage to their home. So, they are in a hotel for Christmas and are sorting through the rubble. It just so happens that their daughter and Clara play soccer together, so this family is well connected to our heart.

So three stories, if I heard them on the news I might think, "Oh, that's sad". But, since these are real people that I know personally, people I care about, I'm camping out here. These events are converging together in my mind and are really changing me.

It's changing my approach to the holidays. Last night there were about a hundred things I could have done, but I chose to sit down on the couch with three of my children and watch a movie. And I mean by sitting down with them, we were all not just on one couch, but on one couch cushion....serious snuggling (I'm glad I picked an intense movie). This season is an opportunity to slow down, relax, spend time with those we love. Why do I allow the commercial aspect to rob me of the joy of my family?

It's changing my approach to the stuff. Good grief, the last thing we need is more stuff. No I'm not boycotting Christmas and we do have presents wrapped under the tree, but this season is NOT about these gifts.

It's about the greatest gift!!! The gift of a baby born in unsavory cirmcumstances, in a less than perfect environment. His parents weren't at home when he was born, they were in a stable. It wasn't a perfect night. It had to have been quite difficult for Mary and Joseph.

Real emotions. Real fear. Real hardship. Real difficulty. Real labor. A child wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

What about the witnesses to this miracle birth...shepherds living in the field nearby keeping watch at night. They were minding their own business All of the sudden an angel of the Lord appeared.

That might freak me out a bit. It also said, "The glory of the Lord shone around them." In the darkness the glory of the Lord shone around them. Then a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests".

So of course the shepherds go to check it out. I suppose if that happened to me I would go check it out.

They find Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. Doesn't seem like that would inspire what came next. "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what they had been told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told him. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

The reality of his birth probably more reflects the experiences of my friends....hardship, heartache, difficulty, fear, tears, stress. And yet the glory of the Lord shone around them. And yet God was praised. And yet Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The difficulties ended in Joy..Jesus was born!!!

Elijah's Photo Shoot

Since Elijah didn't crack a smile during his Christmas program, I thought I would snag a couple of good shots. After all I'm currently borrowing people's cameras to figure out what kind I would like to buy. So, I have a fabulous camera in my grubby little hands and am seeking a picture perfect shot of my little man.

Here's what I got...not a smile in the lot...

Elijah Stage Fright

Elijah's preschool put on a "Christmas play". It really was adorable!! I was proud of Elijah. He had two poses in particular that I thought I'd share. The first is he did do the "O" that they were supposed to do when singing O Christmas Tree. Let me just say I was proud of that "O" considering he was one of the few children that actually did it. The rest of the pictures reveal what he did pretty much the rest of the program.

I'm fairly certain he didn't sing. And, I'm fairly certain he didn't smile. I had a blast playing with my friends DSLR camera!!!

Remember the $4 turkey

Right before Thanksgiving I bought a $4 turkey at Kroger. We had it for Thanksgiving. We had leftovers a couple of times. And, I made soup. And, I froze the leftover turkey.

Two nights ago I made turkey pot pie for dinner from the leftover turkey. There was only one piece left which David and I fought over to take for lunch....I won!!! The filling however seemed to multiply before my eyes....I had enough leftover filling to make two more turkey pot pies that I gave as Christmas presents to my co-workers.

Tonight we are having the last of the $4 Turkey in Turkey Corn Chowder.

We got seven meals out of one $4 turkey. I have much to learn about frugal living, but this is definitely my biggest success so far.

Playing with Piles

The Smith's are on the long road of fiscal responsibility. We've been dabbling and now are attempting to get serious. Balancing our budget doesn't require an act of congress. Balancing our budget does require time, patience, humor and love.

Balancing our budget does require that I remember we have six people living in our home. It's like I have woken up from a drunken stupor (I mean fog) and am wondering where all these little people came from and why they cost so much money.

Anyway, I'm trying something different. As a visual person I've written each item from our budget on a separate notecard and am pretending it's a game. After all I always loved games...Life and Monopoly being two of my favorites from childhood.

After shuffling and re-shuffling, here's where I am at the moment and it's shocking realization. Our wants pile is much larger than our needs pile. We NEED shelter, food, clothing, transportation, medical care and a few things. We WANT a whole lot more.

I've read a few verses from 1 Timothy lately that keep hanging out in my brain. "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

AND

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

AND

"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of life that is truly life."

So, today as I play with my piles...I lay them before God and ask for His wisdom, His guidance, His heart.

When Life Doesn't Make Sense

Sometimes life just doesn't make sense. The unexpected happens. Hearts are broken. Dreams die. Life takes a turn in a different direction. For my friend Jill that I wrote about a few days ago, life just doesn't make sense right now.

She and her husband will be unable to adopt the twins (who they have invested in and loved on for more than a year). And, to add insult to injury...due to circumstances beyond their control, they must leave Russia where they have built their life for the last six years. I can only imagine the pain they must be feeling.

Only God knows where they are headed. The thing that amazes me about my friends is that even though all hell has broken loose in their lives...they continue to trust God. Please pray for them in the days and weeks ahead.

Sewing

Last year Hannah received a sewing machine for Christmas. She's been taking a class through the homeschool group at church (Here's a pic of her and her friend Katie at sewing class). Recently they sewed some really comfy pajama pants.

Well, let's just say that Hannah's sewing skills have surpassed mine. Really, it wasn't that difficult for her to do.

Two of my kids are in a musical at church this Sunday and I found out a couple of weeks ago that they both needed biblical costumes. Biblical costumes...you've got to be kidding me. My idea of a costume is one you pick up at the dollar store.

Thank the Lord, some friends have had mercy on me. Hannah's sewing teacher must have sensed my panic and had some serious pity on me. She just flat out sewed Clara's Mary costume out of the goodness of her heart. Then, my neighbor came over to "help" me sew Noah's wise man costume and bless her heart she sewed pretty much the whole thing.

Here's my funny story for the day. Hannah has been helping me finish up Noah's costume. We've had some challenges, like a broken needle...which I'm happy to say we've figured out how to change.

We're putting the last hem in the sleeve. Hannah pinned the sleeve. I ironed the sleeve. Hannah sewed the sleeve.

When I handed her the costume to finish sewing I said:

"We make a great team sewing!!"

She said:

"Yeah, I do the hard part and you do the easy part!!!!" (said with sarcasm)

Wow, she's turning into a witty young lady. She wants to be a writer...I'm thinking satire might be the way for her to go.

Go Bartlett 98

Tonight was Clara's last soccer game of the season. They won!!! We love this team and the girls and their parents. The team really worked well together and each girl grew so much individually. The coaches did a GREAT JOB!!

For Clara, it was a difficult season, because of the hairline fracture in her leg which kept her out most of the season. However, we are VERY proud of her. She went to practices, sat the bench and cheered her team week after week. She also accepted gracefully the reality that it's hard to come back after an injury. Her leg may have been weak, but her heart grew strong...this was a character building year for her.

$4 turkey 4 ways

So, I scored a significant deal on a turkey at Kroger last Tuesday. My plan for Thanksgiving was to make chicken and dressing, but the $4 turkey changed my mind. In an effort to be frugal, I'm trying to make every ounce of meat count. So, here's how my $4 turkey fed my family.

1. Baked the bird and consumed it for Thanksgiving Dinner
2. Everyone had leftovers at least once, some twice (Clara...that girl can eat)
3. Boiled the carcass to make turkey stock (My house smelled so good yesterday) and made soup using stock, meat I was able to pull off after boiling, carrots, peas, onion, green beans, celery and egg noodles.
4. Froze leftover stock and leftover meat to make another dish later.

So, that's the summary of my $4 turkey four ways.

Waiting!!!!

I'd like to introduce you to one of my dearest friends, Jill. She is pictured here with Andrew and Natasha. Jill and her husband Chris and their son Christian have been in the process of adopting the twins for over a year.

They have been waiting and waiting and waiting. What continues to amaze me is how Jill continues to exude joy in the midst of this difficulty. Please pray that God would move on their behalf and these precious children would be placed in their home.

Diaper Diaries - Final Post

Okay so this is the last installment. I'm sure there's a limit on poop discussion in one week . Friday morning I woke up pretty tired. I was sitting on the couch chatting with my husband when I said, "Man, I'm pooped".

My three year-old son, Elijah ran into room and said "Did you poop?"

I answered, "No, I didn't poop".

He asked, "Who pooped?"

Before I had a chance to reply, He said, "Well, I didn't poop!!"

I'm grateful that he's becoming aware of poop, maybe we are on the verge of being done with diapers soon. That makes me want to shout with glee!!!

It also makes me want break down crying. Before you think I should be admitted to the funny farm, let me explain. That means I am moving into a new phase of my life. After all the past thirteen years have been spent changing diapers. We're moving out of the diaper era and into the teenage era. Holy Poo Poo!! (It's okay to say that...God did create poop!!)

The teenage era....That REALLY makes me want to cry. Babies are cute and cuddly. Teenagers are pimply, hormonal and nutso.

And, yet, I am excited about the years ahead. Again, before you admit me to the funny farm let me explain. Teenagers are full of insight, responsible when given the opportunity, striving for independence, energetic, committed to friendships, enthusiastic. Teenagers look at life from a different perspective. They are fearless. We have much to learn from them.

Over the next thirteen years we will begin to see God's plan for our children's lives unfolding. They will grow into who God created them to be. We pray earnestly that they will choose to follow God's path.

I really need to be like the woman in Proverbs 31..."she can laugh at the days to come"

Diaper Diaries - Part Two

This something Elijah says EVERY time we change his diaper. It's hard to get him to be still. So, we say to him. "Be still Elijah!!" He always has the same response.

"Can I move my mouth?" We always say, "Yes, you can move your mouth!" It's a little idosyncracy unique to Elijah. We're still trying to analyze what that might mean for his future.

Diaper Diaries

We really are going to potty train our son, really. But for now, he is providing so much entertainment. Yesterday when I was changing his diaper, which was FULL-er and STINKY-er than humanly possible he said....

"I ate alot so I pooped alot."

Hey, that's a pretty good awareness for a three year old!!

...That spells Tornado

I know I don't really post things on the blog, but this is Hannah writing. This Saturday, my friend and I were outside with Noah and Elijah. It was slightly sprinkling. Noah decidedto show us how smart he is. He was spelling everything he could think of. He said "R-A-I-N, that spells rain. My friend said he was very smart. That was when Elijah decided to join in and show off how smart he was. He wanted to be just like his brother and spell words about things that happen outside. "B-R-A that spells tornado," he said. me and my friend just about died laughing. When I went inside to tell the rest of the family about it they laughed just about as hard. Hopefully we can teach him soon how you really spell tornado.

Ambition

This morning while I was changing Elijah's diaper (I know, I know he needs to be potty trained...we're working on it), I asked him if he was a sweet boy. Here's his response. "Uh huh, and then, I'm gonna be a rock star. Seriously, tomorrow I'm gonna be a rock star."

Laughter is the Best Medicine!!

This morning our 13 yo is in rare form. She woke upon the wrong side of the bed. She really wants to do her homeschool at work with her daddy this morning. But our answer was no. We're therefore walking a wide berth around her and laughing a little under our breath.

She just asked what's for lunch (keep in mind she hasn't even had breakfast yet). My husband said, "That's step #27 on how to annoy your mother." Without missing a beat she said, "What's step # 1 on how to guilt your dad into taking you to work."

Okay I admit I laughed out loud for quite a while. Her tone was not disrespectful. You have to give her an "E" for effort. And, what a quick, witty comeback.

She just came downstairs, dressed and ready for the day ahead. Her little brother who is three said and I quote "Hannah, you look Cool." Now, she is laughing and suddenly her day has turned around. Laughter is a great cure!!

Ordination

Yesterday was a perfect day!!!

Our family photographer Ari has already posted ordination pics on her blog. She did a great job taking pictures of a truly special day in our life. Thank you to all the friends who shared the day with us. Thank you to those who couldn't be there, but we know you were praying and with us in Spirit. You've all touched our lives in so many ways.

A special thanks to Amanda for making the trek to Memphis as a surprise. She also brought a surprise from Dayton, a video suprise to David from Brian and Phil. Thank you Brian and Phil for your kind words. Thank you also to Ralph Helm for shooting the video, even though your lovely wife Stacie is going to have a baby at any moment.

Scott and Susan, what can we say? You two mean the world to us. When we lived in Dayton, you walked the road with us and made it just plain fun. We truly had a blast hanging out with you. I'm just glad it wasn't the weekend that Alabama played Georgia (that would have stunk). Scott, thank you for sharing truth and for challenging us with God's word. We love you guys and realize how much we miss you!!!!

To our church family...we really are excited to be a part of New Hope and are thrilled to live life with you.

I'm feeling like I'm getting an Academy Award or something....so I'll stop now.

PG-13 Rated Post

In our home we really do try to teach our kids what is appropriate to say and what is not appropriate to say. In our efforts, they've taken it upon themselves to label these words. For example, the "s" word is stupid, the "b" word is bored, the "f" word is fat...you get the picture. It's a little embarassing when we are in public and they say to me...."ooohhh, you said the s word"....which of course was stupid.

Anyway this morning I've been thinking about a certain "f" word. Get your minds out of the gutter people. This word is a word we avoid like plague. We seriously do not want to use it. We don't want to get near it. We don't want to touch it with a ten foot pole. Especially if we are followers of Christ. The word is failure.

We go to great lengths to hide our failures. The annual Christmas letter never highlights our abject failures for the year. We don't hang out in the neighborhood talking about our failures. We don't write blog entries about our mess-ups. We certainly don't write in our status that we blew up at our husband or kids. We don't twitter about how we were selfish. You get the picture. Our failures are NOT high on our list of things to chat about.

I wonder though how high our failures are on our list of things to think about. How much time do we spend thinking about our failures inside our minds. How many resolutions do we make? How many "do better" cards do we have? For all the effort we make publicly to avoid talking about our failures, privately they keep coming up over and over again.

What if we changed our perspective on failure? What if we realized, truly realized that our failures are vital to our growth as believers in Christ. This morning I was reading "The Complete Greeen Letters" by Miles Stanford and this quote really struck a chord with me.

"The believer who is going through struggle and failure is the Christian who is being carefully and lovingly handled by his Lord in a very personal way. He is being taken through the experience (years in extent) or self-revelation and into death, the only basis upon which to 'know him, and the power of his resurrection, and into fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.' God works by paradox. Success comes via failure; life springs out of death, etc"

My pesky little self is always saying "pick me! pick me!". "I" am concerned about failure because it is a poor reflection on "me" God is concerned about "my" failure because when I fail it leads me to die to self. Only then can Christ live in me.

Failing leads to falling on my knees before Christ and being filled by Him which leads to FREEDOM.

Renovation

There is something about renovating a room that is fun and the initial excitement is quite a rush...picking out paint colors, deciding on furniture and accessories. It also takes hard work. And, in our family it always takes longer than we think...especially that first step of cleaning out the room. How do we accumulate so much stuff?

Anyway I'm thinking about this today because we are painting our daughter's room while she is away on a retreat. And, we have a couple of friends who are expecting little ones into their home and they are getting nurseries ready for their precious children.

Why do we renovate our homes? Things change. We need the space to function in a different way. To welcome a new member of the family. To fill a void in our lives. To keep up with the Jone's. There's many reasons we renovate. Sometimes our renovation projects simply boil down to the fact that we have love spilling over in our hearts.

I'm starting to read a book called "Renovation of the Heart". So, this theme of renovation is heavy on my mind. What if I put the same care, the same energy, the same amount of time into allowing God to renovate my heart. There's a lot of clutter that needs to be cleaned out. The truth is His love is splashing out drenching me. He wants to change my heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

If God were to renovate my heart, what would He eliminate from my heart? What would He add to my heart? What needs a new coat of paint? What needs to be dusted off and actually used? What would he rearrange?

Pics from Halloween

Man in Motion

Our friend Ari took this great pic of Elijah Halloween night. He was actually playing hide and seek with her. It captures my little man in motion. He is a bundle of energy!!!